Help getting my M4 mag tube off (currently Failed)

[Zombieland]

So I been going at this sucker for an hour with a heat gun at 300 degrees and I can't get this tube off. This is a new M4 with red lock tight (I can see it). I have the receiver (carefully) in a vice. I tried using some heavy duty nylon strapping and a pipe wrench, but no way. Soaking it overnight with some PB Blaster. 

Question: Is is ok for me to leave the grip/stock on it when I hit it with my torch? It looks like the receiver retains a LOT of heat whereas the tube doesn't. I really don't want to take the stock off. 

And can someone comment on the best place to focus the heat? And what about a strap wrench? And should I not worry about destroying my stock tube? I already marred it up a little.

Any help is appreciated.    

Edited September 26, 2023 by Zombieland

[KAZ]

Try heat up bottom of receiver and opposite side where barrel slides in.

Please also refer YouTube

M4 tube removal

 

Edited September 26, 2023 by KAZ

[Kahamu]

Just take the grip and stock off and use a torch. I did and got it off quickly. 

[RxArms]

300F is not enough, need 500F to melt the threadlocker.

personally, I only put the heat on the steal mag tube.  

Edited September 26, 2023 by RxArms

[Ihrinwe]

Took me a while to get mine off. As Rx said 500 is minimum for red thread locker and I used a standard two level heat gun. You may even see little wisp of smoke once it starts to breakdown and then it should twist off. 

[Zombieland]

So yea I just torched it for about 3 minutes and it came right off. And I did simply unscrew my stock, I didn't know they were so easy to take off. Looks like my fixed stock (CAL edition) came with the adjustable/collapsible type extension tube...

Thank you for the help.   

Edited September 26, 2023 by Zombieland

[Zombieland]

Thanks RX Arms. Good advice. If I were to do it again, I would put a 1" hole in a piece of welders cloth shield and slide in all the way back to the receiver, and then just torch the tube. This would have protected the Cerakote finish. Once the tube it hot enough, it will come right off with very little turning pressure. 

It came right off like butter but I slightly discolored the receiver Cerakote finish. 

[M2_shootr]

Great to hear you got it off…..they can be a pain 

[RxArms]

2 hours ago, Zombieland said:

Thanks RX Arms. Good advice. If I were to do it again, I would put a 1" hole in a piece of welders cloth shield and slide in all the way back to the receiver, and then just torch the tube. This would have protected the Cerakote finish. Once the tube it hot enough, it will come right off with very little turning pressure. 

It came right off like butter but I slightly discolored the receiver Cerakote finish. 

You don’t really need to even go terribly close to the reciever, the steel will conduct heat very well to where the threads are.

glad you got it off though!  Yes it’s a bit of a project to swap the full tube

[Zombieland]

So I completely effed the finish of the receiver. I got impatient and over aggressive with the MAPP torch. Does anyone now if I can get my new finish back? See pics.

[John P.]

Time to get it ceracoated in camo!

[RxArms]

Ya some discolouration on the annodizing looks like.

cerekote is your best option.  If you do get it painted make sure to request a low gloss/matte sheen of your colour choice. In my view you have the option of just painting the receiver black, or painting the whole gun.

 If you want to keep costs down I would start with just the receiver and see how you like it.  The Benelli m4 Is made up of several shades of black and dark greys, so a black painted receiver might just fit in nicely I think.

This pic I attached. The bolt release tab and the charge handle are cerakote low gloss/matte graphite black.  You can see the comparison to the receiver colour.  I hope this is helpful! 

 

[StreetSweeper56]

Looks great just like that to me, like you smoked that gun! 

[M2_shootr]

6 hours ago, RxArms said:

Ya some discolouration on the annodizing looks like.

cerekote is your best option.  If you do get it painted make sure to request a low gloss/matte sheen of your colour choice. In my view you have the option of just painting the receiver black, or painting the whole gun.

 If you want to keep costs down I would start with just the receiver and see how you like it.  The Benelli m4 Is made up of several shades of black and dark greys, so a black painted receiver might just fit in nicely I think.

This pic I attached. The bolt release tab and the charge handle are cerakote low gloss/matte graphite black.  You can see the comparison to the receiver colour.  I hope this is helpful! 

 

Then there is what I call “Air Force blue”

 

[SOCOMguy]

Too late now, but for future reference, MAPP torch is quite a bit hotter than propane, have to use caution with MAPP on thin or delicate parts. 

Joe  

[M2_shootr]

4 minutes ago, SOCOMguy said:

Too late now, but for future reference, MAPP torch is quite a bit hotter than propane, have to use caution with MAPP on thin or delicate parts. 

Joe  

Yep……would not have been my choice at all 

[cas]

Oil it. Then use the hell out of it. Scratch it all up. You won't notice the color change.

If you wanted a static art display, then you didn't need a full length mag.

[M2_shootr]

What ^^^ he said…..  

[flashracer]

I have to do the same to mine. I have the 7 round mag to replace my stock 5 round mag. My question is do I need to replace the spring?

[Zombieland]

from what I have read in this forum, which is substantial, you don't need a new spring. Others have tried and the original spring works just fine. But I would be surprised to know that your new tube didn't come with a new spring. I think that CARRIERCOMP makes the best tubes and they come with a new wolf  spring. https://www.carriercomp.com/

 

[RxArms]

You don’t need a new spring.  The same OEM spring used in the 5 round tube is the same one used in the 7 round tube.

[NineInchNails]

I once had a Remington 870 Cerakoted after a house fire (lots of corrosion). They coated the interior and the exterior of the receiver, the forend tube assembly, the magazine tube and the barrel. Cerakote is a coating so it adds 1,000s of an inch thickness to all surfaces. After Cerakote was done, that shotgun was nowhere near as smooth as it used to be. Actually every single shotgun I've ever handled since then, the action has felt much smoother than mine. I don't know if they just did a poor job, applied too thick or if that's just the nature of higher tolerance parts with the additional mil thickness of Cerakote. It works fine, but just not what you would call 'smooth' with the action.

I know people here have more experience than me with Cerakote & M4 receivers. Maybe they could comment on whether it could affect the tolerances/action or not with your receiver. Without more info, I'd be more concerned with applying Cerakote to the exterior than all of the interior if that is possible.

[Zombieland]

2 hours ago, NineInchNails said:

I once had a Remington 870 Cerakoted after a house fire (lots of corrosion). They coated the interior and the exterior of the receiver, the forend tube assembly, the magazine tube and the barrel. Cerakote is a coating so it adds 1,000s of an inch thickness to all surfaces. After Cerakote was done, that shotgun was nowhere near as smooth as it used to be. Actually every single shotgun I've ever handled since then, the action has felt much smoother than mine. I don't know if they just did a poor job, applied too thick or if that's just the nature of higher tolerance parts with the additional mil thickness of Cerakote. It works fine, but just not what you would call 'smooth' with the action.

I know people here have more experience than me with Cerakote & M4 receivers. Maybe they could comment on whether it could affect the tolerances/action or not with your receiver. Without more info, I'd be more concerned with applying Cerakote to the exterior than all of the interior if that is possible.

Yea I thought long and hard about this. I did not opt for Cerakote due to the internals and the operation of the receiver. But, I am considering a true composite which is evenly distributed and locked into the aluminum substrate, a nickel-phosphorus matrix coating adding approximately .0002″ in internal tolerance, and has a super low coefficient of friction. It's called NT7+ and replaces NP3. Perhaps StrangerDanger or RX arms can also comment on adding internal tolerance to the Benelli. I don't have enough experience to know. The guys at Wright Armory, who formulated the new NT7 say that there will be no issues.    

[RxArms]

I don’t recommend a cerakote on the inside, you can tape off the openings and just paint the outside of the receiver.  This will ensure smooth operation on the inside.

I don’t have any experience with NT7+.  But from what I understand it has high lubricity properties which is what you would want if coating the inside also.  .0002 thickness is practically nothing. Benelli designed the M4 to operate with dust and garbage in the receiver.  I can attest to this as my M4 is completely filthy inside and it still runs like a champ. So I doubt .0002 will have any effect at all on the operation of the gun.

In general, if you are doing just a black paint job, get the painter to tape off the inside of the reciever and they can just paint the outside, a good shop will be familiar with this practice.

Edited October 13, 2023 by RxArms

[Zombieland]

39 minutes ago, RxArms said:

I don’t recommend a cerakote on the inside, you can tape off the openings and just paint the outside of the receiver.  This will ensure smooth operation on the inside.

I don’t have any experience with NT7+.  But from what I understand it has high lubricity properties which is what you would want if coating the inside also.  .0002 thickness is practically nothing. Benelli designed the M4 to operate with dust and garbage in the receiver.  I can attest to this as my M4 is completely filthy inside and it still runs like a champ. So I doubt .0002 will have any effect at all on the operation of the gun.

In general, if you are doing just a black paint job, get the painter to tape off the inside of the reciever and they can just paint the outside, a good shop will be familiar with this practice.

Thanks RxArms, yea every shop I spoke with talked about media blasting the entire receiver as the only option, and applying Cerakote to the inside and outside of the receiver - So I opted out of that. I have put my trust in Wright Armory and their new NT7+ formulation. I will share with you once I get it back. Thanks again, ZL.